The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges arranged one above the other and a plurality of optical writing means arranged one above the other or a single optical writing means.
There has been known an image forming apparatus of the type including an apparatus body and a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to the apparatus body one above the other, or stacked, in the direction of gravity. This type of image forming apparatus forms an image with image forming means when the image forming cart ridges are mounted to the apparatus body. Photoconductive elements each are supported by either one of the respective image forming cartridge or the apparatus body beforehand. In the case where the photoconductive elements are supported by the apparatus body, the image forming means arranged on the cartridges contact the photoconductive elements when the cartridges are mounted to the apparatus body.
The prerequisite with the image forming apparatus of the type described is that the image forming cartridges removable from the apparatus body be stably positioned on the apparatus body. Should the cartridges be unstable in position, so-called banding would occur in an image due to the vibration of a driveline. Further, optical writing means are stacked one above the other and respectively associated with the cartridges. The optical writing means are also susceptible to the vibration of the driveline, aggravating the banding.